The present invention relates to the finishing, balancing, and especially the refinishing of worn surfaces on rotor members such as disk brake rotors, brake drums, and the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,303 to Baldwin discloses prior art arrangements for refinishing variously configured brake rotors and the like, and an adopter including flange members having shoulder surfaces of differing diameter for centering respectively configured rotor workpieces. The ""303 patent, which is incorporated herein by this reference, also discloses another adapter having movable jaw members for radially clamping a centering hole of a workpiece.
While the variously configured adapters disclosed in the ""303 patent provide significant advantages over earlier prior art, further improvements are desired, particularly regarding the ease and quickness of set-up operations for differently configured rotors, and reducing refinishing time.
Thus there is a need for a rotor refinishing system that further overcomes the disadvantages of the earlier prior art.
The present invention meets this need by providing a duplex chuck rotor refinishing system for enhanced processing efficiency. In one aspect of the invention, the apparatus includes a duplex chuck for refinishing differently configured rotor workpieces on a spindle member having a clamping arbor nut, each rotor workpiece having a centering diameter and a rotor mounting surface, the duplex chuck including a chuck body having a body bore for locating on the spindle member and rotation therewith, respective pluralities of radially oriented first and second jaw slots being formed in respective opposite ends of the chuck body; respective sets of first and second chuck jaws for slidably engaging the first and second jaw slots of the chuck body, the jaw members of each set having respective shoulder surfaces for engaging the centering diameter of one of the rotor workpieces; first and second scroll members rotatably mounted in the body for radially advancing corresponding first and second chuck jaws when the jaws are engaging the first and second jaw slots; a first pinion member rotatably mounted in the chuck body and having geared engagement with the first scroll member for rotation thereof; and a second pinion member rotatably mounted in the chuck body and having geared engagement with the second scroll member for rotation thereof, the pluralities of first and second chuck jaws being independently advanceable in response to corresponding rotation of the first and second pinion members. The first and second pinion members can be rotatable on respective pinion axes, the pinion axes preferably extending in a common plane perpendicular to the body bore for facilitating low-cost manufacture of the chuck.
At least some of the centering diameters can be inside diameters, the shoulder surfaces of at least one of the sets of chuck jaws facing outwardly for engaging the inside diameter of a workpiece. Preferably the duplex chuck also includes flange means for axially locating respective rotor workpieces relative to the opposite ends of the chuck body. The flange means can include an annular first clamp surface formed on a front axial extremity of the chuck body, the shoulder surfaces of the first jaw members projecting forwardly of the first clamp surface for engaging the centering diameter of a first one of the workpieces, the shoulder surfaces preferably also extending rearwardly of the first clamp surface and the first jaw members having clearance behind the first clamp surface for permitting facing contact between the first clamp surface and the first one of the workpieces. The flange means can further include an annular second clamp surface formed on a rear axial extremity of the chuck body, the shoulder surfaces of the second jaw members projecting rearwardly of the second clamp surface for engaging the centering diameter of a second one of the workpieces, the shoulder surfaces of the second jaw members preferably also extending forwardly of the second clamp surface and the second jaw members having clearance forwardly of the second clamp surface for permitting facing contact between the second clamp surface and the second one of the workpieces. Alternatively, the flange means can include the first jaw members having respective face surfaces formed thereon for defining a first face plane perpendicular to the body bore when the first jaw members are engaging the first jaw slots, the shoulder surfaces of the first jaw members projecting outwardly from the first face plane. Also, the second jaw members can have respective face surfaces formed thereon to define a second face plane perpendicular to the body bore when the second jaw members are engaging the second jaw slots, the shoulder surfaces of the second jaw members projecting outwardly from the second face plane.
Preferably the duplex chuck is provided in combination with first and second flange members having respective flange inside diameters for locating on the spindle, and respective flange faces formed perpendicular to the flange inside diameters, for axially clamping respective rotor workpieces against the flange means when the flange members are axially clamped on the spindle toward the opposite ends of the chuck body with the rotor workpieces engaging corresponding first and second chuck jaws.
In another aspect of the invention, apparatus for refinishing the rotor workpieces includes a base; a powered spindle supported relative to the base and having a spindle diameter; a duplex chuck having a chuck body for mounting on the spindle diameter, respective sets of first and second jaw members being radially movable at high mechanical advantage relative to opposite ends of the chuck body for radially clampingly locating respective first and second rotor workpieces concentrically relative to the spindle; and machining means for shaping surfaces of the first and second rotor workpieces when the workpieces are being turned by the spindle. The apparatus preferably also includes the first and second flange members for axially clamping respective rotor workpieces against opposite surfaces of the duplex chuck. The machining means preferably includes first and second machine elements that are simultaneously advanceable relative to respective ones of the rotor workpieces for simultaneously refinishing the workpieces. At least some of rotor workpieces can be disk rotors having oppositely facing disk surfaces, each of the first and second machine elements preferably including respective cutters for engaging the disk surfaces of a corresponding rotor workpiece, and means for moving the cutters axially relative to the base, for facilitating finishing of two pairs of surfaces of the workpieces. Preferably at least one of the first and second machine elements further includes means for adjusting an axial spacing of the cutters. The machining means can include crossfeed means for advancing the cutters radially relative to the spindle, and the crossfeed means is preferably operative for simultaneous radial advancement of the first and second machine elements.
In a further aspect of the invention, apparatus for refinishing the differently configured rotor workpieces includes a duplex chuck having a chuck body for mounting on the spindle diameter, respective sets of first and second jaw members being radially movable at high mechanical advantage relative to opposite ends of the chuck body for radially clampingly locating respective first and second rotor workpieces concentrically relative to the spindle; and the first and second flange members for axially clamping the workpieces against first and second face planes of the chuck.